This tutorial has four sections:
- Understanding and Preventing Problems
- Small Sketches on Level and Slanted Surfaces
- Medium Sketches on Vertical Surfaces
- Large Sketches on Any Surface
Understanding and Preventing Problems
Many aspiring artists simply jump into drawing without taking time to consider their natural movements and postures.
Understanding how your body wants to move as it draws (your natural movements) can make a huge difference to the quality of your drawings. Even the way you hold your pencil contributes greatly to your overall level of comfort and your drawing abilities.
Lines that end up shaky rather than smooth are the nemesis of many artists. The difficulty comes from attempting to draw by using the same muscle movements that you use to write.
Drawing and writing do not, in fact, use many of the same muscles, and new artists soon discover that moving only the fingers and wrist can cause discomfort. After a while, this discomfort may lead to complications such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Artists are prime candidates for this painful and sometimes disabling injury.
As An Aside
I underwent surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome 30 years ago.
I didn't want the problem to return and possibly end my career, so I took a good look at my drawing techniques and soon discovered more natural drawing postures for drawing.
To my surprise, not only did I manage to eliminate much of the pain in my wrist, but my drawing skills improved as well.
In simple terms, carpal tunnel syndrome is a pinched nerve in your wrist often caused by repetitive hand movements. Symptoms include pain, numbness, and tingling, which can eventually lead to hand weakness.
The carpal tunnel (Figure 1) is a narrow passageway (tunnel) on the palm side of your wrist that protects the main nerve in your hand and the tendons that bend your fingers.
Long-term compression of this nerve often results in carpal tunnel syndrome.
Repeatedly moving the tendons inside the carpal tunnel of your wrist (as one does when drawing) can cause them to become swollen and put pressure on the nerves. Treatments include wrist splinting, medications, and surgery.
Trying to drawing while wearing one of these splints (Figure 2) is an exercise in frustration. Naturally, prevention is a smarter alternative to any form of treatment.
Tip!
When you draw, keep your hand relaxed and your wrist bent back slightly to keep the carpal tunnel open.
And, use your arm more than your fingers - drawing is more like conducting an orchestra than writing a shopping list!
Here are a few simple things to keep in mind when you draw:
- Always sit properly on a high-quality ergonomic chair and draw on a sloped surface.
- Before you draw, relax your whole arm from your shoulder down to your fingers by shaking and wiggling.
- Remember that drawing is not the same as writing. Do not move your wrist when you draw.
- As you draw, softly rest your little finger and (whenever possible) your elbow on your drawing surface and gently slide them along using your hand, arm, and shoulder.
Tip!
You are more likely to tense up your hand when you feel stressed.
Take frequent breaks to relax and stretch your whole body, especially your hands, arms, shoulders, and neck.
As An Aside
Artists have devised numerous combinations of mediums and drawing surfaces to suit their individual needs.
The following three sections discuss popular combinations that might help protect your hand and wrist from potential injuries.
Small Sketches on Level and Slanted Surfaces
The traditional method for holding a pencil is ideal for creating small drawings as long as you remember to keep your hand tilted slightly back to keep the carpal tunnel open (Figure 3).
If you absolutely have to move your fingers and wrist (to draw tiny details, for example), take a break every few minutes to relax your hand and wrist.
Medium Sketches on Vertical Surfaces
A vertical surface (such as an easel or wall) demands a unique hand posture to minimize the stress on the hand and wrist (Figure 4).
Remember to keep your wrist still and let your arm, shoulder, and upper body move your pencil.
Tip!
Deciding how to hold a drawing medium depends on the:
- size of the drawing paper.
- position of the drawing surface (level, vertical, or slanted).
- type of medium.
Large Sketches on Any Surface
To create large sketches on level, slanted, or vertical surfaces, hold your medium so you can easily move your arm, shoulder, and upper body (Figure 5).
Lines that are big, bold, and flow smoothly gain momentum from having the range of movement in your arm.
In addition, you can comfortably hold any type of medium in this way - from a big chunk of charcoal to a pencil.